


Frigid Issues

by GachMoBrea



Series: Fostering Strength [4]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe: Foster Family, BigBrother!Len, Brother!Barry, Brotherly Squabbles, CCPD, Confused!Eddie, Confusion, Father!Joe, Foster Family, Gen, Goes with the Series, Humor, Misunderstandings, OOC, One-Shot, Poor Eddie (Again), Refrigerator Goods, Regular Day, Scared!Eddie, Scary!Len, secret admirers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-20
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-08-09 20:55:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7816909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GachMoBrea/pseuds/GachMoBrea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry and Len have a little domestic squabble at the precinct about who ate the last of something in the fridge, and some random officer overhears...<br/>Assumptions are made and Joe is given an early Christmas gift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Frigid Issues

**Author's Note:**

  * For [badwolfchild](https://archiveofourown.org/users/badwolfchild/gifts).



Joe gave it two days before Len noticed.  
His son got it after one.  
"Just tell me honestly, yes or no," the young man greets the detective when he arrives at the precinct. "Does Barry eat everything in the fridge?"  
"Yes," Joe grins, remembering the times he had to order lunch even after he remembered to pack one from home. "You know his stomach has 'needs'."  
"I have needs," Len growls, fists clenching at his sides. "The people who bring me special things have needs too."  
"People?" the detective's eyebrows rise as he ignores everything to focus on his kid. "Do you already have admirers, Len?"  
"Just two and they left me something with a nice note," the trainee grins without any mirth. "All I found was the note."  
"You'll have to take it up with him," Joe can only offer a sympathetic look and shrug. "I can't get him to stop. Maybe one of your new military glares will do the trick."  
"I'm taking that as permission," Len smiles, walking away to go to the CSI's lab.  
After a beat Joe frowns, "Permission to do what? Len? LEN!"

 

Len finds Barry in the rec room, his body halfway in the fridge as if BEGGING to be caught red handed.  
He walks silently to his brother and waits a second, hand poised to block the blow he expects as he then barks, "What are you doing?!"  
Barry practically flies out of the fridge, arms flailing and hitting Len's hand as he tries to get away from the voice that startled him as quickly as possible. (Without using his powers.)  
"Len?" the speedster breathes, hand on his heaving chest and cheeks vaguely pink. "What are you doing startling me like that?"  
"What are YOU doing?" Len repeats his question, slamming the door closed to add a little flair to his words.  
"I'm just looking for something to curb my appetite," Barry shrugs. "There's usually something in there I can eat."  
"Is it yours?"  
"Excuse me?"  
"Are the foods that you are devouring yours?"  
"Well...Not exactly."  
"Not exactly? Or no, not at all?"  
"What is this? 20 questions?"  
"Are you just eating the super old food?" Len glares at the other's confused look. "The ones close to extinction? Because that would be fine. Eating food before it goes bad so the fridge doesn't stink is perfectly fine."  
"What is this all about?" Barry crosses his arms in a defensive maneuver, eyeing his brother as if his stiffer, straighter stance would tell him anything. "Did someone say something?"  
"Actually, no, which is surprising," Len starts walking towards Barry. After the first two steps, his brother starts walking backwards, away from him. "I'm surprised that no one would warn me about a thief in the precinct. But maybe they're all ashamed? Or maybe they all blame someone else and no one even bothers to think it could possibly be the peppy CSI who lives upstairs?"  
"Thief? Mu-me?" Barry's back his the wall and he swallows the guilt as his brother closes in on him. "What did I eat?"  
"I'm not sure, Barry," Len leans in close to growl low in his chest. "I didn't even get to SEE it before you swallowed it whole!"  
"I chew," the speedster states quietly.  
"Oh," his brother tilts his head, offers him a fake smile that mocks all pleasantries. "That makes everything better. Couldn't have the villain choking on his ill gotten gains, now could we?"  
"Now hold on a minute there," Barry's bristles at the 'villain' comment. "Any food I have taken was only for emergencies. I can't help it sometimes when-" he breaks off his explanation, looks around and notices someone quickly walking away. Turning back to Len, he lowers his voice, "When my speed requires me to take in more calories."  
"You could eat those disgusting bars that Sicko and Caitlin made you," his brother scoffs.  
"You've tried them," the speedsters deadpans. "Can you imagine only eating those things?"  
"Point taken," Len allows, then he sighs, leaning against the wall next to his younger foster brother. "I just feel bad that I'm going to have to tell those two lovely ladies that you ate my present."  
"What?" Barry pushes off the wall to stare at his brother with wide eyes. "You've got to be kidding me. I ate something of yours?"  
"Did you forget how to read while I was gone?" Len growls, pulling out the two notes to show him. "I found these in the fridge. They were clearly ripped off the package they were labeling when you decided to help yourself to whatever you wanted."  
"Geeze, I am so sorry," Barry's cheeks go a little pink again. "I was a little desperate for something this morning. There was a-"  
"Superhero excuses for later," Len waves away the words. "You're telling the girls what happened if they decide to step up and tell me who they are."  
"How do you know they were girls?" his brother asks.  
Len shows him the neon pink notes, "Too many smiley faces and hearts."

 

The little 'encounter' seemed to put the boys at ease and Barry even buys Len a pizza for lunch as a peace offering.

By the end of the day, though, both CSI and Training Detective are starting to get strange looks from their peers.

 

Len raises an eyebrow to the fourth sad sigh sent his way at the gun range.  
"What's their problem?" he asks Joe. The two of them were going over weapons training.  
The detective glances at the sigher and shrugs, "Maybe she's king of your fan club?"  
Someone pushes passed Len and he stumbles forward.  
"Hey!" Joe barks at the officer. "Watch where you're going!"  
"Sorry, detective," the man genuinely looks apologetic, until he turns away again. Then all thoughts of apology are gone.  
"Do you guys have some sort of initiation I should know about?" Len looks the man over as he goes clear to the other end of the range.  
"Of course not," Joe frowns, shaking his head at the bad behavior. "I don't know that guy very well, but shoving you was uncalled for. I'll have a talk with his superior."  
"That's okay," his kid shakes his head. "I can take a little shoving. I just like to know the reason for it." He grins, "That way I know if I can push back."

 

By end of shift, even Barry is wary of anyone looking his way. The CSI meets up with his foster family, since there wasn't any metahuman activity that day, and they all go home together.

-

The next day, everything's worse.  
There are more stares, a few more shoves, and a couple of people have noticeably started whispering about them.

"You think they know about the talk in the rec room?" Len asks as he gets to Joe's desk. He still doesn't have a place of his own yet, so he either hangs out near his foster father or Barry upstairs when they're not on a case.  
Joe heaves a heavy sigh, "I haven't heard anything." He looks around and sees Eddie approaching, "But maybe my partner can let us in on it."

"Hey, Joe," the blonde smiles at the detective, then nervously walks around Len, "Hey-Hi! Hi, Len. "  
Once he sits, Len sits on the edge of his desk and leans into his space, "What's going on Blondie?"  
"What? Going on?" Eddie swallows nervously. "Why would there be anything going on? People do-Love! People love who they love and it's not as if you're real brothers."  
"What?" Len seethes at the man quietly as Joe chokes on his coffee.  
"I didn't tell them, I swear!" the young detective raises his hands as if to protect himself. "I just heard about you and Barry and nodded along. That's it."  
"Me and Barry, what?" Len leans in a little closer, schools his features to hide anything but controlled rage from his face.  
"You two," Eddie sinks a little more in his chair. "Together?"  
Joe snorts, then laughs, then snort laughs as Len pulls out of the man's face to stare at him in bewilderment.  
"You two aren't?" the blonde asks, confusion taking over his fear as he straightens in his chair. "Everyone thinks you two are together."  
"Why?" Len monotones, still in shock while his foster father continues to pull himself together.  
"Because you were," Eddie blushes, looking away. "You were seen really close to each other and acting all," he shrugs helplessly. "Familiar? Domestic? I didn't see it. I just know what they told me."  
"Barry and Leonard," Joe sing-songs like a child quietly. "Sitting in a tree."  
"DON'T," Len growls, looking over to the older man. "I know where they keep the bombs."  
"K-I-S-S-I-N-G," the detective continues, rolling his eyes at the glare sent his way. "You two are an adorable couple."  
"So, they are a couple?" his partner asks in a tiny, extremely lost, voice.  
"NO," Len answers like rumbling thunder. "And you can tell that to everyone else that talks to you about it. Got that?"  
"Yes, sir," Eddie nods furiously.  
Len glares one more time at his foster father for good measure, then starts walking away with purpose.  
"Wait! Len," Joe gets out of his chair, a look of sudden concern covering his face as he gets close enough to whisper, "Which one of you do I walk down the aisle?"

Len answers with a clenched jaw and a cold shoulder.

-

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing.


End file.
